A game of tug-of-war turned ugly Monday when two Los Angeles County students had their fingers severed.

The students, a boy and a girl, were participating in the lunchtime Spirit Week activity celebrating homecoming at South El Monte High School, the school district’s Assistant Superintendent Edward Zuniga said.

Neither he nor other district officials would release the students’ names or ages.

The girl is a senior and varsity soccer player, and the boy is a football player.

Los Angeles County fire Capt. Miguel Garcia said firefighters responded at 12:20 p.m. to the school.

The students were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center by ambulance, Fire Department officials said.

“They are both stable, and the parents were by their bedside,” hospital spokeswoman Rosa Sacca said. “They were getting ready to be taken to the operating room to try to re-attach the fingers.”

Authorities didn’t say how many fingers the girl and the boy lost.

Zuniga said it is unknown how many teens were participating in the tug-of-war, in which two teams pull on a rope in opposite directions in a show of strength.

“At this point we’re trying to find out more information,” Zuniga said.

It is unclear whether the school or El Monte Union High School District will change policies on campus activities.

“We’ll review the activity with district administration,” Zuniga said. “We’re in the early stages. We just want to make sure we have all the facts straight before we talk about changing activities.”

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